Swedish website Webhallen.com is listing Microsoft Surface tablet pricing on its site. If these details are correct then pricing would be substantially higher than previously thought. Of particular interest here is the cheapest Arm based WinRT device, a 32GB model, showing up costing around £648.00 or $1000.

It had previously been suggested that WinRT tablets would be priced relatively in line with current ARM based tablets. If we were to rule out Android tablets and aim at the higher end iPads for a price guide then comparatively, the Surface is going to be much more expensive. Currently you can pick up a 32GB Wi-Fi only iPad for about £479.00 or £579.00 for the 3g variant. In either case, that puts the Surface well above the current market leader. Even if the Surface device is to be 3g enabled it would still be £70 more expensive in comparison. It has been rumoured that the Surface is not 3g capable, if that’s the case then the price gap leaps to £169.

I am personally looking forward to getting a Surface tablet, but if these prices are indeed correct, even the lowest end device will be as expensive as an ultra-book. That’s going to make the purchase a tough call rather than a no-brainer. We would have expected MS to price the ARM version at the same level as the iPad. If they are thinking of joining the competitive tablet fray with devices that are priced way above the iPad then there could be trouble ahead.

The ARM version will not have the flexibility of Pro when it comes to application compatibility so pricing is key. This version is designed to take the iPad head on, if it cannot compete on price from the get go then we have to ask, "What is the point?" WinRT will of course be on every PC sold from the end of this year but we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that Microsoft is betting big on WinRT to finally get them into the tablet game.

Most ordinary folks that buy an iPad probably stump up for a £399 16GB Wi-Fi version, there won’t be any such option for Surface. The entry-level price will be highly sensitive for consumers, they are reeled in to look at tablets priced at £399 and then they might decide to stump up for a more expensive model. Apple advertises the iPad as costing FROM £399, which is the price to get people to consider it in the first instance. If Surface WinRT tablets aren't providing a similar low-cost option then consumers may overlook them completely. I wonder is that what Microsoft wishes to achieve?

We would like to know what you think of these prices. Would you still buy the 32GB version without a thought? Do you think these prices will put MS tablets at an immediate disadvantage?

**Update** Paul Paliath from Techie Buzz - He has a statement from Webhallen that the prices are incorrect and merely placeholder for future orders. :-

“Our customers are very interested in pre-ordering these products, so we have set a high preliminary pricing for the line-up so that they may be able to pre-order them.

Just to clarify, we have not received any pricing from Microsoft regarding MRSP or purchasing net cost, and any people who have booked the Surface at this high price will of course have their order adjusted before any product is shipped. So we’re not going to overcharge anyone for being an early adopter.”

I’m more than happy we can put that shocker to rest, we await the real price from Microsoft.

Nope. That price is quite ridiculous for an RT. It should be $600 at max for RT and the pro around the $1000. Might as well get me that lenovo yoga or asus taichi if the RT itself gonna start at $1000.

I was under the impression MSFT said they would only be selling the surface at their own stores and through their own websites. Therefore I wouldn't put too much stock in this. Maybe this outfit is marking it way up just to get a piece of the initial hysteria kind of like how kindles were going for a thousand bucks on eBay when they first came out and supply was so short.

Exactly. Sales were announced to go through their retail stores and select online stores. The best guess I've heard why online was a plural was that they were talking about online stores in various countries, but it was going to be all Microsoft. So, I wouldn't put too much stake into this site's "prices" being the final retail cost. Not that I don't think it would be smart (and likely) that they'll eventually(?) sell them through other venues, such as Amazon, Walmart, or Best Buy (not that I want to buy it there personally, but it makes a difference for your sales).

Indeed! Once again customer services at Webhallen has informed me that PRELIMINARY they have been authorised to sell the Windows Surface devices. They say and I quote "Från den information vi har fått från vår leverantör så ser det i dagsläget ut som att vi kommer att få tag på dessa enheter. Det är dock väldigt långt kvar tills release och Microsoft kan ändra sig under denna period." (From what we have been informed by our supplier it currently looks AS IF WE WILL RECEIVE THESE UNITS. However, the launch is far away and Microsoft may change its mind during the duration.)
So there you have it! PRELIMINARY PRICES and an optimistic AVAILABILITY. Hopefully other retailers will also get them in stock when available.
As has been said previously in this thread - PRICES in Sweden INCLUDING a 25 % VAT ARE MUCH HIGHER than elsewhere. Often prices in dollars can be multiplied by 10 to achieve the recommended off-the-shelf price in Sweden.
I don't defend the prices at all, in fact I would be very disappointed if these (suggested) prices would be the real ones once the units are available. However interested in buying one at thos prices I would turn to cheaper brand. I am glad, though, that Webhallen would be the first one to announce the units to be included in their stock.

I think MS is going to surprise a lot of people with the number of apps available for W8. If you're a WP developer you might as well do the extra work to make a W8 version. Also the W8 app store has a nice little selection now, but it's only free apps. Who knows how many paid apps are around.

I agree with you totally. In case anyone has been sleeping, Apple have a complete offering from iTunes & their eco system is extremely mature. MS have yet to show the goods on improvements they intend to make on their content selection in Xbox Music. At present Zune is no match for iTunes. Pricing the Surface tablet above the iPad may be seen as inability to compete on any level. RB

Whoa...
Maybe Apple apps is extremely mature in comparison to Microsoft. But I wouldn't go as far to say zune is no match for iTunes. The song selection in Zune/Xbox Music is not necessarily superior, but it certainly almost level. I would bet most people would agree their subscription model helps make it stand out keeping it competitive with iTunes.

Honestly, I think its very fake. Companies often (Amazon being the obvious example) will throw up a price on an unreleased product to get out pre-orders before other sites for all the people excited about said product. Since they don't know the price, they put one up that is obviously higher so that when the price is announced they won't be forced to give a lower price to the consumers who already pre-ordered, and instead just charge the customer the actual price.
Also, "WinRT will of course be on every PC sold from the end of this year" - I think you meant Win8 in that sentence ;-)

As a side note, kudos on all the Windows 8 coverage! It's something that will affect Windows Phone users and something that we are already sort of invested in. I think that once Windows 8 is released (or even now) you should make coverage of it a main part of the site in addition to Windows Phone. I for one would be grateful for a place to recieve all my Windows news in one place :)

The main thing is that Microsoft said that the only places you will able to get the Surface is from Windows Stores (brick and mortar) and the online Microsoft stores. Since this place is neither, it is clearly fake.

Actually I believe the author is correct. Remember that Windows Run Time (WinRT) is the core for the new model while WinRT is also the name for the ARM version. A true failure in marketing, unless you make the case that since ARM only shares the RT component for applications and not true "desktop" mode.

I think Swedish sales tax is slightly higher than ours (UK) so if these prices were right (which I doubt) I'd guess at 32GB Surface RT retailing for £599. Still WAY too high. I'd suggest this is a clever marketing trick to attract attention to the site.

I seriously doubt these prices. Maybe this website is hoping for some gullible pre-ordering fans.
Personally, I would never pay prices like this. I would immediately switch to the apple ecosystem. I don't own a tablet yet, and have been waiting for this from MS.
I'm planning on getting 2 pro versions, one for me, and one for my wife, then no more PC, no more laptop, no more netbook.
I expect the Pro version will be expensive, like an ultrabook, but at those prices, MS can forget it.

I'd wait for something official before jumping to conclusions, as has been said these wont be available everywhere so its doubtful these prices are accurate. However I'm sure the mainstream tech press will run with this and start proclaiming Surface a failure already.

They really have no choice but to aggressively price them if they want to sell any. The iPad won't be the only competition it will see this year, without even looking at android, if other manufacturers will be releasing RT tablets this year, depending on their pricing, people would tend to just skip the surface altogether and get one of the other RT tablets.

The iPad 3 32gb is still priced at €500 here in Sweden, I don't think you should draw any conclusions from Swedish prices, shit's expensive. And even so, it's most certainly just a placeholder at this time, they had initially a higher price point for the Lumia 800 than when it was released (something like €550 instead of €450 iirc).

if this is true this will be a mistake in my opinion. the way people think is that if they want a tablet and the person doesn't care about operating system then they will see this tablet as out of reach compared to tablets currently in the market.

Let's hope things will change or its instantly gone from exciting 'cant wait' to oh well maybe in a few years when the price drops! Disappointed doesn't come close...i was hoping for a leap of faith from ms and coming in under the cost of the ipad...

Yeah, that is a good indicator or accuracy. That means the tablet is packing a whopping 32GB of RAM and 632GB HD. Maybe THAT’S why it’s so expensive! In that light it’s looking a bit too cheap in fact.. ;) RB

I think it means that WP7/8 apps will be trivial to convert to Win8 apps. In other words, most devs will just tweak their code and bam, a Win8 app with barely any effort. The initial number of Win8 apps will dwarf WP7. It will slow down as they near a certain # but 100,000 isn't out of the question in a matter of weeks. Will be fun to watch.

Agreed. $499 for the 32GB and $599 for the 64GB will put them ahead in pricing. Then next year when a new model is released, do what Apple does and sell the last generation for $100 cheaper because production costs have gone down on it.

They could go a bit higher in price, and then sell it with an Xbox. That way they can have a commercial showing Smart Glass with the WinRT Tablet and sell them as a bundle. I can see it now,; "You can use Smart Glass on that other stuff.. but it was MADE for WinRT..." Or something like that.

I think this is pure speculation. Not to question you, but is this an authentic site or a fake site set up to smear MS before they even begin to sell the Surface? Or are they pretty much Pro Apple and as stated want to smear MS?

It's a reputable and authentic site. At the bottom of each product page it does say that the price, release-date and information is preliminary and subject to change.
It's a placeholder, and it's not uncommon to overprice these.

I certainly hope so. Unless Microsoft decides to initiate a pop-up store program around the world to sell these, then it will be online mostly. I still wonder aloud why we don’t see Surface being used to demo things like Office 2013… lets hope they are still on track to get them into mass production.. RB

Again, Ballmer stated in an interview that the Surface will only be sold through Microsoft.com and Microsoft stores. However, he also said that if other retailers wanted to sell them, they could just a number of them from Microsoft.com and sell them. So initially, that the only way you can get a Surface.

Sorry you feel this is a buzz post. I thought a website displaying prices for Surface devices could be considered ‘news’. Of course, it’s not official. Until that time, we can but wonder what goes on inside the minds of the crazy folks in Redmond. :)

Webhallen specifically states that the price point, release-date and information is preliminary at this point and subject to change in the future, on every product page."Pris, bild, produktbeskrivning och releasedatum är preliminära och kan komma att ändras."
No mention of this nor the fact that it's very common for retailers to overprice a pre-order rather than underpricing, comes of as very suspiscious. Or just sloppy.

It most certinually is a buzz post. And it's not "news" it's rumor. And why ask What do you think of these prices knowing full well they're not real? Why speculate the MS may be overpircing the devices so that they won't sell? And why must we wonder what goes on inside the minds of crazy folks at Redmond? Seriously dude you be a better fit over at wmpoweruser with your fox news style of reporting.

It has to be priced close to ultrabooks cause Microsoft don't want it over taking ultrabooks the lower tablet surface will be apple iPad pricing and probably be called Xbox tablet very good selling name for it pop a badass graphic chip in there and put the Xbox arcade market place on there hot selling point with direct account with ur Xbox arcade games to out do apple and make a call of duty game for the fanbois and halo game

It's a lot more difficult to do that than you make it sound. Microsoft can't just put an app on it that lets you play XBLA games, it's way more complicated than that. They'd have to be optimized for touch, and they'd have to be ported. Xbox and Windows use different coding languages, it's not a trivial thing to port a game over (that's why so many PC ports suck so bad).

Plus, the Surface RT is already using the Nvidia Tegra 3, which is pretty bad ass in my opinion.

I haven't had time to read through all the commewnts, so forgive me if someone else has made this point:

There's no way that Microsoft would randomly tell a Swedish retailer the price before announcing it. I'd even bet that it'll be a US-only release, at least at first (that's usually how these things go). It has to be $500 or less on the low end. If it's anything more, even $550, people will just buy iPads. If they hope to be competitive in any way, they have to sell it for $500 or less.

That being said, if this turns out to be true, I'm still buying one. I don't think it's worth $1000 for most people, but I just can't pass this device up. It's too fantastic (even though we still know very little about it).

The Surface RT is meant to compete with iPads. The surface Pro is meant to compete with Ultrabooks. It's clear from your attitude that you intended to incite the kinds of reponses we are seeing here. Perhaps you should move to wmpoweruser.com. You and surur would be great friends.

That's Crap, wait for the price drop in Oct. I need 2 Pro and 2 of the very low end models but not at those prices. I would end up buying Android cuz I will never buy Apple. Then I might as well buy 4 Android Phones.

it's been said a bunch already, but I too don't think its the real price. I'd venture to guess that's the MSRP and not the final price. The company I used to work for used to do the same thing all the time.

MS has NOT made any official annoucement about pricing for the Surface RT. There is NO way they would have pricing for the Surface Pro 5 months before it's expected release. MS stated that the Surface Tablets would only be availible from the MS store both online and in store so why would some random Swedish retailer have pricing? Nothing to see here folks. Move along.

It's difficult to come to a conclusion about this. On the one hand I'm mindful that Microsoft have already stated availablility will be via Microsoft Stores, and select online stores, however they've also not said a thing about how international availbility will be handled, and it's possible that outside the US, Surface tablets might find their way to these online websites via the usual supply chain.
Another consideration is the pricing itself - Microsoft stated that the Surface RT would be priced similar to other ARM tablets. The iPad is the most expensive one out there, but it's entirely possible that Microsoft's hardware partners have forced Microsoft's hand and pushed them to keep pricing high on the Surface. Even so, it would be risky for Microsoft to give the Surface such a high starting price, given how quickly it has become the flagship Windows 8 Tablet device.
Other factors to take into account are that we haven't really seen much in the way of Windows 8 pricing appear online, let alone Surface pricing. Taking all the above factors into account, i'm inclined to come down on the side of skepticism that this website has had some kind of early access to pricing. They might be making an assumption that they'll get the product, and guessing at the price. Either way, I think it's far safer to wait and see what the true prices end up looking like.

bottom line is if the thing isn't priced the same or below a 32Gb iPad (current gen) it will be a market failure. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure this out. You either compete or stay out of the market.

I don't believe any retailer has access to pricing just yet...so I'll discount this completely. For all we know this is a retailer's attempt to give customers a chance to reserve product . That said, I do think Microsoft will price Surface with Windows RT partner devices in mind. They are not going to undercut them. Also, I think there is going to be promotion/justification for slightly higher pricing because of the included Office suite. Bottom line, we just don't know yet and probably won't until early-October.

Wow, the 32 GB RT is $330 more than the 32 GB iPad in Australia, and $200 more than the 32 GB with 3G. There's no way general consumers would choose that over the iPad. The average punter would more likely get a cheap netbook instead.

Wow these can't be the right prices. I think it would be wise to wait for Microsoft to make an official announcement before I make a decision. I look forward to getting a surface as my first tablet. I wna replace my netbook. I'm attracted by the work and play aspect of the surface. Consume and create on the move. I would have gotten an iPad but it is not too strong with the work part. Anyhow, I hope surface is much cheaper than what these guys are saying.

As always, how reliable is the information being put out there and what is the track record of the tipster? We really shouldn't lend credibility to a story without having a significiant amount of proof to back it up. Just saying

As a regular customer at Webhallen I would say that this is typical for them. It is often possible to order/register for items that are not released in a loooong time and the prices on these items are, of course, pure speculation. As an example it has been possible to order a Xbox 720 for a long time, with a price on it: http://www.webhallen.com/se-sv/spel/xbox_360/142333-xbox_720_basenhet/

So in my world this is just guessing/speculation from them. A high price just to makr sure no one gets the feeling of being fooled...or something.

Pricing revealed?? wow... Robert Brand, thats a nice title for some fake prices that only silly people would think its real, you know, prices will be revealed when Microsoft writes BLOG POST (probably) just like they did with windows 8 and the upgrade prices.
microsoft said the price will compete with current tablets... so stupid article, i know its in "rumors" but some rumors are just too stupid to write about.

Maybe MS will do pricing like an Xbox. The initial cost will be high for early adopters and then we will see price drops at 6 and 12 months. Also, don't count out 3rd party manufacturers. They can find ways to cut costs and produce a budget model. Ditch the 3g, cut the ram, memory, Bluetooth, and use a cheaper CPU and you will has cheaper, but still usable tablet for the casual market. This would simply make the surface the flagship model.

MS might also be setting the bar high so that 3rd party makers can see all the possibilities. Then when Asus, Acer, dell, etc produce a tablet, they can pick and choose the options that MS laid out in the Surface tablets. Sort of what google does with their android phones. Just like apple, don't expect anything budget from MS. Cheaper windows tablets will have to come from 3rd party manufacturers.

What's really funny about this is here we are nearly 7 hours after this crap was posted and there is still nothing about this on wmpoweruser.com. It's funny because this is exactly the type of click bait article that surur would post over there. How sad wpcentral. How very sad.

While I defintely would not buy one at that price, I do want a WinRT tablet and the Surface seems to be the frontrunner at this point unless the other vendors can seriously up their game. That being said, price is a factor and one that is way above the other "pads" will make me delay/cancel my purchase. Otherwise, I am waiting at the Microsoft store in Orlando which is the closest one to Tampa.

I can also add that at Webhallen, you can also pre-order the Xbox 720 for the exact same price and is schedualed for a 2013 release. This is what they do and it works, because they get free worldwide exposure. Just chill people! :-)

I'm think this is uneducated speculation. If the price really is that high, I'd hate to see the price for the Pro version (which is the one I would buy). It'll probably cause me to just buy a new ultrabook or other laptop.

im lying on a mountain of salt right now for this one, im guessing these guys have no idea what price it'll come at so might as put it high so they don't come under when the MSRP shows up.... now watch the media spin this as a failure on MS' part

I hope this pricing is wrong. I feel like this will make this another Zune vs. iPod situation. Apple already is synonymous with tablets everybody asks or calls tablets iPad just like every MP3 and PMP device was an iPod. If MS wants to make any kind of headway they need to price aggressively. I feel like had the Zune been priced under the established iPod and the Zune pass service aggressively marketed it would have done far better. It is even more vital now since this is a major push for their bread and butter OS and the economic climate if they don't come in even or better under iPad prices they might as well wave the white flag now.

I can see the Pro running that much, which I'd buy. But the RT version? Two words: hell no. That's not even remotely compared to compete with the iPad or other devices. MS can't assume people will want to shell out MORE for a device that hasn't been real world tested. It has to be at least the same price as iPad, if not less... initially. MS needs to go XBox style and sell at a loss until it becomes the defacto device.

First of all noone of these has a physical harddrive. its the SSD 32,64,128. there is not one with 600giga hd.
Second it seems little bit overpriced sinse 999$ is 6404 kr .. if webhallen should earn morethan 50% on each surface i think they will loose the contract very fast. just add the moms on this maby 20% benefit. its still under 10 000 kr .. actualy 9200 kr. that feels alot more fair than 15000kr. so i guess that pro verson with 128 gig ssd .. should be around 10000 and that is fairly ok.